Shipping Containers: The Future Of Food Production And Farming
FEBRUARY 16, 2018 BY
Did you know that meals in the United States travel about 1,500 miles on average to get from farm to plate? Many areas in the United States are considered food deserts, which are areas where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited.
With innovations in technology, food deserts could become a thing of the past with local produce grown using sustainable farming methods in controlled environments. Shipping container farming is sustainable and could be the future of food production.
How is farming done in shipping containers?
To create a shipping container farm, usually a 40-ft. container is fitted with water pipes, climate control systems, and electronics for everything from seeding and transplanting to harvesting.
Most shipping container farms are hydroponic. Instead of soil, plants are grown in water full of the nutrients they need. Sunlight is replaced by LED lights. But these aren’t just any LEDs. They are designed to provide plants with optimum wavelengths for strong and accelerated growth.
The container's environment is monitored by sensors to regulate oxygen, carbon dioxide, humidity levels, and more. It can even be controlled remotely with an app! That frees up a lot of time, especially if you are an entrepreneur focusing on other business ventures.
Why do shipping containers for farming make business sense?
These steel containers are very versatile and can be used for many industries. Farming has been using these for storage of equipment for years, but now the installment of technology to allow you to grow inside the space has opened the door to many new business ideas, for many good reasons.
1. Flexible and scalable. You can easily change the scale of your operations without the hassles involved in traditional farming. Instead of buying another acre or two, just purchase a few more shipping containers. You can even take your farm wherever you want, because shipping containers are so easy to transport. Container farms are a viable business option because you can set them up almost anywhere, both in urban and rural areas, and save on space and resources.
2. Save space. This is a key advantage container farms have over traditional farming. You have greater control over what happens to your crop. You can stack plants vertically and be efficient in your plant care. That means farmers can take better advantage of small spaces.
3. Saves resources and protect your business. Farms in shipping containers do not require as much water, fertilizer, or pesticides as traditional farming. This controlled environment allows you to be more efficient in your farming. In a world of unreliable weather, shipping containers offer entrepreneur farmers more protection from exposure to bad weather. Besides environmental protection, the steel container (some with heavy duty locking mechanisms) protect your valuable crops.
With the many benefits of shipping containers for farming and agriculture, it is no surprise to find many entrepreneurs and businesses joining the movement. Mobile Modular Portable Storage is an experienced provider of shipping containers for rent. We also offer many containers for sale in several states across the country.